30 Easy Preparedness Ideas —

Day 6 - Build a Grab-N-Go Snack Kit

Welcome to Day 6 of 30 Easy Preparedness Ideas for National Preparedness Month!

Today's challenge is easy—and this is another one the kids can help with!

Build a small Grab-N-Go Snack Kit for each person in your family.

If you suddenly had to leave home, having a few familiar snacks ready to grab could make those first few hours a whole lot easier.

And Mimi has one very important rule:

Pack Food They'll Actually Eat!

An emergency is NOT the time to discover your child won't touch the protein bar you've been saving for three years. 

Choose shelf-stable foods your family already enjoys.

Some easy ideas include:

• Fruit or applesauce pouches
• Pretzels or crackers
• Nuts or trail mix
• Granola or protein bars
• Jerky
• Individually packaged cookies
• Dry cereal
• Dried or freeze-dried fruit
• Shelf-stable snacks
• A favorite little treat

Choose foods appropriate for the person carrying the kit, and always consider allergies, dietary restrictions, age and choking hazards.

Get the Kids Involved Again!

Remember those sanitation kits we made for Day 4? 

We're going to use the same idea today.

Give everyone their own bag or PackFreshUSA Stand-Up Pouch and let them help choose some of their favorite shelf-stable snacks.

You can even make a rule:

Pick something with protein.
Pick something fruity.
Pick something crunchy.
And pick one favorite treat!

Let the kids help pack their own pouch and put their name on it.

Preparedness doesn't have to feel scary.

Sometimes it looks like sitting around the kitchen table choosing snacks together.

Mimi's Tip: Don't Forget the Treat!

Food isn't only about calories.

During a stressful situation, something familiar can be comforting—especially for children.

A favorite cookie, piece of candy or other little treat can give someone a small sense of normalcy during a very abnormal day.

So yes...

Mimi says you can pack the chocolate. ?

Just remember that foods that melt easily may not be the best choice if your Grab-N-Go Bag is stored somewhere hot.

Snacks Need Water Too!

Think about how the foods you choose will affect your water needs.

Salty crackers, jerky and some other dry foods can make you thirsty.

And foods that require water to prepare aren't nearly as convenient for a Grab-N-Go Snack Kit.

For this kit, I like foods that are:

OPEN IT. EAT IT. DONE.

And make sure your Grab-N-Go supplies include drinking water too.

Mimi's 6-Month Rule

Here's the part I really want you to remember:

Don't pack your snack kit and forget about it!

I recommend checking your Grab-N-Go food about every six months.

Make it part of another household routine you already do.

When it's time to check batteries in your clocks, smoke alarms and other household safety devices, make it:

BATTERIES & SNACKS DAY! 

Pull out your Grab-N-Go Bags.

Check the food.

Look for damaged packaging and check the dates.

Then rotate foods that are approaching their best-by dates into your family's regular snacks and replace them with fresh ones.

The kids probably won't complain about helping with this preparedness job!

“Guess what? It's time to eat the emergency snacks!” ?

Rotate, Don't Waste

This is another reason I recommend storing foods your family already eats.

Your emergency food shouldn't automatically become wasted food.

If granola bars normally go into school lunches, rotate the older emergency bars into lunches and put fresh ones into your Grab-N-Go Bags.

Same with crackers, fruit snacks, trail mix and other favorites.

Store it. Check it. Rotate it. Eat it. Replace it.

That's preparedness without unnecessary waste.

Think About Where Your Bag Is Stored

Food stored in a hot garage or vehicle can deteriorate much faster than food stored in a cool part of your home.

Check your snack kits more frequently if they're exposed to heat or temperature swings.

And whenever you inspect your kit, don't rely only on the printed date.

If packaging is leaking, swollen, punctured, badly damaged or otherwise questionable, replace the item.

When in doubt, throw it out.

Don't Make It Too Heavy

Remember our rule from the sanitation kit?

SMALL. LIGHT. USEFUL.

You may actually have to carry this bag.

We're making a Grab-N-Go snack kit, not packing the entire pantry!

A handful of carefully chosen foods can help get you through those first hours while you're evacuating, traveling or figuring out what happens next.

And Don't Forget the Pets!

If your pets will evacuate with you, they need Grab-N-Go food too.

Pack an appropriate amount of their regular food or treats and rotate those supplies regularly as well.

Changing a pet's food suddenly during an already stressful emergency isn't ideal, so storing something they're accustomed to eating can make things easier.

TODAY'S EASY PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE

Grab a pouch or small bag for each family member.

☐ Add a few favorite shelf-stable snacks
☐ Include some protein
☐ Add something fruity
☐ Add something crunchy
☐ Add a favorite treat
☐ Check dietary and allergy needs
☐ Make sure drinking water is available
☐ Label the pouch
☐ Put it in the Grab-N-Go Bag
☐ Plan to check it again in 6 months

Then add Grab-N-Go snacks for your pets too!

✅ DAY 6 — DONE!

Today's preparedness project wasn't complicated.

We packed a few snacks our families already enjoy, put them somewhere easy to grab, and created a plan to rotate them instead of wasting them.

Six months from now:

• Check the batteries.
• Check the emergency snacks.
• Rotate what needs to be used.
• Restock the Grab-N-Go Bags.

That's the kind of preparedness I love.

Simple. Practical. Repeatable.

One little thing at a time.

See you tomorrow for Day 7!

— Mimi ?

Preparedness doesn't have to be complicated.

PackFreshUSA | 30 Easy Preparedness Ideas